Sea Planes
British Columbia, Canada
September 2015
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British Columbia is Canada's most western province, it has a long Pacific coastline with Vancouver Island within easy sight from the mainland facing the sprawling city of Vancouver and Canada's largest sea port. Travel by seaplane is more prevalent here than in any other the province due to large distances between some communities and because of the need to travel between the mainland and the sheltered eastern coastline of Vancouver Island. As it will take more than a half day of driving and ferry riding to get to Vancouver Island from the city Vancouver, a float plane trip of just 35 minutes is very attractive for many. British Columbia has over 150 large lakes and many of those are suitable for floatplane landings.
With over 50 aircraft, the Harbour Air Group consisting of Harbour Air Seaplanes, Westcoast Air and Whistler Air, are the world's largest all seaplane airline. There are other smaller commuter seaplane companies and many privately owned floatplanes. The de Havilland Beaver since the 1950s has been the principal seaplane flown, but is reluctantly giving way to the de Havilland Otter and Twin Otter seaplanes by the major airlines. The single-engine Beavers and the slightly larger Otters are also utilised for the various flightseeing tours.
My brief report features aircraft mostly from the main airline Harbour Air taken at their more accessible bases for photography. |
| Tyee Spit, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GADD c/n 1153) arriving at Tyee Spit Campbell River. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GADD c/n 1153) arriving at Tyee Spit Campbell River. de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter (C-FQND) of Vancouver Island Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers (C-GTLT c/n 1183, C-GQKS c/n 1096 and C-GACK c/n 711) at Tyee Spit, Campbell River. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers (C-FRJG c/n 1550, C-FIGF c/n 834 and C-FWCA c/n 1285) at Tyee Spit, Campbell River. |
| Sechelt, British Columbia. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Sechelt. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GMKP '222' c/n 1374) of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GMKP '222' c/n 1374) of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air. de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316 and C-GMKP '222' c/n 1374) of Harbour Air. |
| Kelowna, British Columbia. |
| Piper PA-22-135 Tri-Pacer (C-FEZR) at a private jetty at Kelowna. |
| Victoria Inner Harbour, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. |
| DHC-2 Beaver (N900KA c/n 1676) 'Maggie' of Kenmore Air taxiing in to Victoria. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter (C-FGQH '604') of Westcoast Air Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-GHAG '317') of Harbour Air and DHC-2 Beaver (N900KA c/n 1676) 'Maggie' of Kenmore Air. |
| Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air arriving at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air. |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FHAX '313') of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otters (C-FHAX '313' and C-FHAD '315') of Harbour Air arriving at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FHAX '313') of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FHAX '313' and C-FJHA '318') of Harbour Air arriving at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FITF '303') of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FHAX '313') of Harbour Air arriving at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FJHA '318') of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FJHA '318') of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FJHA '318') of Harbour Air. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air departing at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FITF '303') of Harbour Air. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air arriving at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GFLT c/n 279) of Sunshine Coast Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air at Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GTBQ '216' c/n 1316) of Harbour Air. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter (C-FITF '303') of Harbour Air. |
| Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FZZJ c/n 1019) of Salt Spring Air arriving at Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FZZJ c/n 1019) of Salt Spring Air arriving at Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FZZJ c/n 1019) of Salt Spring Air arriving at Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FAOP c/n 1249) of Salt Spring Air departing Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FJFL c/n 898) of Salt Spring Air departing Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-FJFL c/n 898) of Salt Spring Air departing Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (C-GOBC c/n 1560) of Seair Seaplanes at Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island. |
| Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Mk.III Turbo-Beaver (C-FOEH) with Province of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources at Smoke Lake base, Algonquin Provincial Park in July 1999. |
